The malachite kingfisher, Alcedo cristata, is named for the bright blue/green feathers that sit on top of its head that may be raised to form a type of crest if the kingfisher is disturbed. The malachite kingfisher is largely a piscivorous (fish-eating) bird and hunts its prey by diving into the water from a low bough typically over a slow-moving river. Other prey items, however, such as insects, crustaceans, or even small frogs may also be eaten. Malachite kingfishers are distributed throughout sub-Saharan Africa, where they are quite common. They nest along sandy banks in tunnels that incline upwards to reach a nesting chamber. Females deposit approximately 3-6 round, white eggs into a nest composed of fish bones and disgorged pellets (Fry et al., 1992).

Kingfishers are members of ‘Coraciiformes’, which traditionally includes Leptosomidae, Coraciidae, Brachypteraciidae, Upupidae, Phoeniculidae, Bucerotidae, Meropidae, Todidae, and Momotidae (Mayr et al., 2003). Although the coraciiforms may not be a natural grouping, there is evidence (both morphological and molecular) that Alcedinidae (kingfishers), Meropidae, Momotidae, and Todidae form a monophyletic group (Maurer and Raikow, 1981; Burton, 1984; Sibley and Ahlquist, 1990; Mayr et al., 2003).

This clade is supported by the tendon of musculus flexor hallucis longus being excluded from the hallux (Maurer and Raikow, 1981); a columella with a large, hollow, bulbous base and footplate, exhibiting a large fenestra on one side; the scapula and acromion are distinctly bifurcate, with an additional medial process; and the proximal phalanx of the hallux has a proximal end that is greatly widened (Mayr et al., 2003).

There are approximately 87 extant species of kingfishers that are divided into three groups; the dacelonids (kookaburras and halcyons), alcedinids (small blue-and-rufous kingfishers, including A. cristata), and cerylids (green and giant kingfishers). Of these groups, only the cerylids are found in the New World.

The kingfishers (Alcedinidae) as a whole are thought to be monophyletic. They are characterized by large heads, short necks, short legs, and long bills (Fry et al., 1992); however, these are traits that they share with many other ‘coraciiform’ birds. Kingfishers are diagnosed by myological features including the extensor metacarpi ulnaris origin being fused with that of ectepicondyloulnaris, fibularis longus branch to FPD3 tendon being absent, and the flexor hallucis longus directly suppling only digits III and IV (Maurer and Raikow, 1981).

About the Species

This specimen was collected from Senegal, Casamance, Diabane on the 21 July 1983. It was made available to The University of Texas High-Resolution X-ray CT Facility for scanning courtesy of the Field Museum of Natural History. Funding for scanning was provided by an National Science Foundation Digital Libraries Initiative grant to Dr. Timothy Rowe of The University of Texas at Austin.

About this Specimen

This specimen was scanned by Matthew Colbert on 23 March 2004 along the coronal axis for a total of 885 slices. Each slice is 0.117 mm thick, with an interslice spacing of 0.117 mm and a field of reconstruction of 44 mm.